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The Conservative Case for Common Core

Federal intrusion and misleading rumors do a disservice to an effort that started in the states.

By

William J. Bennett

Sept. 10, 2014 7:07 p.m. ET

As the former Secretary of Education for President Ronald Reagan, I have been following the national debate over Common Core standards. The debate is getting hotter, but not always clearer. It's time to get clarity on some things that have been badly and sometimes mischievously muddled.

Let's begin with the ideas and principles behind the Common Core. These educational principles have been debated and refined over decades. First, we can all agree that there is a need for common standards of assessment in K-12 education. And...